Mamata defends party move to skip all-party peace meet

Sutahata, Aug 9 (UNI) Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today defended her party's move to skip the all-party peace meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, at Tamluk, and averred that the CPI(M) could not be allowed to extract any political mileage.

Addressing a rally here on the occasion of 66th anniversary of 'Quit India Movement', Ms Banerjee alleged that everytime the CPI(M) held such meetings and started oppressing the people from the very next day.

Ms Mamata also alleged that the killing of local committee secretary Niranjan Mandal and Dulal Garu at Nandigram was the fallout of the internal squabblings in the CPI(M) itself.

She demanded a CBI probe into their murder.

Furthermore, the Trinamool Congress supremo declared that Subhendu Adhikary, MLA from Contai, would contest the coming Lok Sabha election from Tamluk.

Asked about her abrupt announcement of the candidate's name, Ms Banerjee said it was a mark of respect to the contribution of the people of Nandigram in the struggle against the CPI(M).

She also informed that the CPI(M) leaders had lodged FIR against Mr Adhikary and his father Sisir Adhikary as well as other BUPC members, accusing them of the murder of the two CPI(M) local committee leaders at Nandigram.

'' The CPI(M) is trying to obstruct our movement against them, '' she added.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also batted for the prompt deployment of CRPF, stating that the state police was playing the role of ''gundabahini'' (gangster) to counter their ''democratic movement''.

Reacting to Mr Bhattacharjee's plea to stop staging rallies and meetings for a few days in Nandigram, Ms Banerjee said the CPI(M) had been stabbing the movement during the past one year by imposing prohibitory orders under Section 144.

Furthermore, she also reiterated her claim to return the 400 acre of land from the Tata's small-car project at Singur to the farmers, from whom land had been acquired ''forcibly'', adding no industry should be set up on the farmlands of Nandigram.

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